The Best Man novel Chapter 77

Olivia's POV

Memories

"Pumpkin?", I felt my dad gently stroke my hair to wake me up, not knowing that I was wide awake already. I was just faking being asleep so that I didn't have to go the morning 6am jog he forced me to participate in since the doctors insisted I get a lot of sleep, exercise and eat healthy on my three weeks rest leave. I loved my parents, dearly. They've gone out of their way this past week and a half in making sure that I was well rested and stressless.....but now I just wanted to go home to my own space where I could live by my own rules.

Nathan has been stopping by every day to check up on me, bringing Missy along with him whenever he could because snuggling with Missy was an automatic stress reliever, making me feel less anxious and calm, and I got to spend more time with him. Surprisingly my Dad didn't have any problems with Nathan and for the first time every Nathan was actually the only guy to be really accepted by my Dad, making him feel like he was a part of the family. They got along so well, I sometimes felt neglected a little when they would just scurry away and talk about the usual guy stuff that I was always assured had nothing to do with me.

"Hmm?", I faked a yawn, flattering my eyes open lazily as if it was the first time I woke up this morning and I realized he wasn't in his usual jogging outfit, instead he was still in his pajamas. No lie but I was skipping in joy inside. No jog today? Yay!

"I want us to talk about something", he looked so serious, I got worried about a second, forcing myself to sit up

"What's the matter?"

"These last couple of days, I've been paying attention to you and this young man, Nathan when he comes to see you"

"Okay?"

"I want to hear this from you Pumpkin"

"Hear what Dad?"

"Are you happy though? Does he make you happy?", he asked, and I breathed out a sigh I wasn't even aware I was holding in, a smile growing on my face as I took both his hands into mine.

"I am happy. He makes me really happy, so happy sometimes it feels a little too good to be true. It's like I'm in a dream I don't want to wake up from, that's how happy I am", I said, and he seemed pleased with my answer as he took my face in his hands and kissed my forehead.

"Okay, I just wanted to hear from you because I've seen how he is with you and how you are with him. I just wanted to confirm I wasn't seeing things that aren't there", he said, and I laughed a little.

"I believe you're not"

"I can tell that young man really loves you Olivia. He had the kind of love that any father would want his daughter to be cared for and loved by another man, I hope you realize that"

"No chance", he chuckled. "You want your mom to kill me? She's already given me the eating healthy lecture on your behalf so this is a once of thing"

"Either way, thank you", I pulled the bar open and offered him half of it, he took it and popped it in his mouth

"So, how are you?", he crawled to lay next to me

"Besides from the house arrest, I'm doing pretty well considering I can go back to my place one of these days. How about you?"

"I'm doing alright"

"No like seriously, how are you?"

"You really need to stop doing this Liv", he looked up at me

"Stop what?", I acted dumb, knowing very well what he meant by that. I was always second guessing him every time he told me he was doing okay because I felt like he wasn't. He looked like he was though, but then I just wanted him to tell me more than him being 'okay'.